Puzzle game



June 27, 1944. R. w. MANDL PUZZLE `GAME Filed Feb.l 9, 1943 INVENTOR BY E00/ h/. Mgr/m ATTOPNEY Patented June 27, 1944 UNITED 4STTIIS PATENT OFFICE PUZZLE GAME. Rudi W. Manel, Newrqrk, Ng Y. l. Application February 9, 1943,seria1uo. 475,247 I 1o claims. (Crais-155) My invention relates to puzzle games adapted for pastime or amusement andV designed to tempt the skill of the participant.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a puzzle game of the class described which shall be characterized by the novelty and simplicity of its construction and arrangement and which shall at the same time be a challenge tothe skill of the user.

Another object of my invention is to provide a puzzle game of the character described which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which shall be relatively easy and interesting to manipulate and which shall represent generally a novel and useful improvement in the art. Further objects of my invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out in the description read in t conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which, Fig. l is a plan View cfa puzzle game conf' structed and arranged in accordance with my invention and having portions thereofv broken away to discolse the interior construction thereof;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of one of the parts of the puzzle game shown in' Fig. 1, disassociated therefrom; y

, Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating a modied form of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring now in detail to Figs. 1, 2 and 4 of the drawing, I have shown a puzzle" game oonstructed and arranged in accordance with my invention and comprising a sheet I of yany suitable relatively rigid material on ythe vnature of heavy paper, Celluloid, cardboard, plasticl material or the like, on one'su'rface ofvvhich is print- A ed, or otherwise impressed, a series of alternately shaded and light squares II which may be arranged in checkerboard fashion. While in accordance with my invention Vany numberrof squares Il may be employed, I have illustrated,

'for convenience, an arrangement of eight horizontal and eight vertical squares.

In accordance with my invention, I prefer to'` 'mount the strips I5 to 22 on the sheet I0 so that they may be manually slidably moved onlyr in a vertical direction or in other wordsyso that each of the strips I to-22 will at all times overlie and be in alignment with a corresponding' vertical row of squares II.

' '-'Any suitable means known to theA art may be employed-"for maintainingthe strips I5 to 22 in theabove5de`scribed position, such as, for ex-` ample, -the Vseries'V of loops vId'at the top of the sheet IU- and the seriespof loops I6 at the bottom ofY the sheet I II. Each loop of thev loops I4 and I5 may be formed byproviding a pair of spaced parallel slits in the sheet I0 of sufiicient'size to vpermit the-passage therethrough of a strip. The -loops"I4 as well as the loops L6 may be arranged in staggered relationship to prevent weakening `of thesheet I0.

t It is` thus'seen from the above described con- 'strctionthat when it is desired to slidably move a selectedstrip downwardly, it is merely necessaryito grasp the lower end of the said'strip and exert va' slight pulling force. If it is desired to -move the strip upwardly then the upper end of the strip must be grasped. 'y

The strips I5 to 22 are preferably of transparent material so that the squares II maybe seenVtherethrough at all times. On the upper surface of each of the Strips I5 to 22, disposed substantially midway between the ends thereof is a permanently impressed spot which may -he of any suitable shape or color, such as for example the black circle 25. l

^ vThe puzzlegame is designed to be played .or 'solved by selectively slidably moving the strips I5 to 22, so that the circles 25 are positioned in Aa. predetermined arrangement with respect to the squares II. A preferred problem iste arrange the black circles so that therel will be `onlyormrcircle,15in any horizontalnverticm or diagonal row of squares. v

5, ,It is noteathat me` degree' of dirculty of `solution of myI puzzle game may be increasedor y`decreased .by altering the number. of; squares I I.

In Fig. 3 5; and Fig.; 5,1 haveillustrated a modi- .fied form of my invention in which an attempt is made to increase the difliculty of .solution of the puzzle game. In this form, I provide a rela-- vtively rigid sheet similar to the sheet I0, but `which in this case is of transparent material. I

provide two independentoheckered areas 3| and 32, spaced from each other and each comprising equal squares 35, similar to the squares II. It

yis noted that in accordance with my invention the vertical rows of squares in each ofl the chckered areas 3I and 32` are in alignment.v vFor each vertical row of squares of both areas 3| and 32, I provide a strip 36 similar in construction y and purpose to that of the strips I5to 22. `However,`each of the strips 36 is'provided'with apair of spots and 4I, thespot'40 'being adapted to occupy a square in the checkered area3l,"and the spot 4I occupying a square in the checkered area 32. In order to add to the difficulty of solving the puzzle, as describedin connectionfwith 'the Figs.'1,"3 and 4-form of my invention, I'pre'- disposed one horizontal row of squares higher than the spots 4| on the other 4strips 36.

It is understood of course that other strips 36 may also have the distance between the spots 40 and 4| at variance with that of the remaining strips 36 and that in such manner the Solution.V

site ends thereof may be selectively grasped for manual manipulation.

3. In a puzzle game of the class described, the combination of a main body member, a check` ered area on said body member comprising horizontal and vertical rows of squares, a longitudinal strip for each vertical row of squares, each strip having a spot or mark thereon disposed between the ends thereof, and means for mounting said strip yon said body member for axial movement so that the said spots may be selectively positioned in said squares in an arrangement which constitutes a solution to the puzzle, said last named to the puzzle game may be made increasingly dincult.

To permit free axial manual movement of the strips 36, 36 and 36 and at vthe same time to prevent their lateral displacement, Imay provide loops, similar to the loops |4 and I6, or I -may employ staggered rows of bands 38l and 39 encircling the strips and having the ends thereof passing through the sheet 30 and knotted.

While it is noted from the drawing that in the Figs. 1, 2r and 4 form of my invention I have illustrated the sheet I as beingl opaque and `the strips to. 22 transparent and with the said strips overlying the sheet I0, it is understood that the strips |5 to 22 may be made opaque and the sheet l0 transparent and overlying the said strips I5 to 22, as in the Figs. 3 and 5 form of myinvention. It is also noted that in the Figs. 3 and 5 forms of my invention the strips 35 and the sheet may be arranged similar tofthe Figs. 1, 2 and 4 and my invention extends to such construction.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have herein described the Drin- -cipleand operation of my invention, together with apparatus which I now considerl to represent the best embodiments thereof, but I desire-to have it understood that the structures shown are only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also, while it is de-- signed to use the various features andelements in the combination and relations described, some of those may be altered and others omitted without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use.

Having described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. In a puzzle game of the class described, the combination of a main body member, a checkered area on said body member comprising horizon'- tal and vertical rows ofgsquares', a longitudinal strip for each vertical row of squares, each strip having a spot or mark thereon disposed between the ends thereof,v and vmeans for mounting said strips on said body memberfor axial movement so that the said spots'may be selectively positioned in said squares in an arrangement which constitutes a solution to the puzzle.

`2; kIn a puzzlev game ofthe class described, the combination of a mainbody member, a checker'ed area onsaid body member comprising horizontal and Vertical rows of squares, a longitudinal strip `for each vertical row of squares,

rangement which constitutes a solution to the puzzle, said stripsbeing longer than the vertical dimension ofL s aidcheckered area Aso'that oppomeans additionally serving to prevent lateral displacement of said strips.

4. In a puzzle game of the class described, the combination accordingV to claim 1 in which the said strips are disposed in overlyingrelationship With respect to said checkered area and in which the said overlying strips are of transparent material so that the squares will be visible therethrough at all times.

5. In-a puzzle game of the class described, the combination according to claim 1Y in which the said main body member is made of transparent material and in which the said strips underlie the said body member so that the said spots thereon are visible through the said body member at all times.y

6. In a puzzle game of the class described, the combination of a main body member, a rst checkered area o n said body member comprising vertical and horizontal rows of squares, a second checkered varea on said body member comprising vertical and horizontal rows of squares, the vertical rows of squares of the first checkered area being in alignment with the vertical rows of squares of said second checkered area, a longitudinal strip for each aligned row of squares, each strip having a first spot or mark thereon and a second spot thereon spaced from the first spot, said spots being a predetermined fixed distance apart and means for mounting said strips on said body member for axial movement so that the said rst vspots may be selectively positioned in the squares of said first checkered area and the second spots in the squares of said second checkered area in an arrangement which constitutes a solution to the puzzle.

7. In a puzzle game of the class described, the combination according to kclaim 6 in which the said fixed distance between the spots on at least one strip is different from that of the distance between the spots on kthe remaining strips to render the puzzle moredilcult of solution.

8. In apuzzle game of the class describecLthe `combination according to claim 6 in which the -10. In a puzzle game of the .class described, the

combination according to claim 2, in which` the said mounting lmeans for the strips comprise a pair of loop members on said body member for ,each strip and disposed on opposite sides of said checkered area.

' RUDI w. MANDL. 

